Skype Chat
by tika12001
Summary: A companion piece to S5E6. When their Skype session accidentally remains open, Jane hears a conversation that she doesn't quite believe. Kind of based off a Tumblr prompt. Now complete.
1. Chapter 1

_Title: Skype Chat_

_Author: tika12001_

_Rating: T_

_Summary: A companion piece to S5E6. When their Skype session accidentally remains open, Jane hears a conversation that she doesn't quite believe. Kind of based off a Tumblr prompt._

_Author's note: I don't know. *offers fic* *runs away* (also I wasn't sure if Karla's name was spelt with a K or a C, so I went with K, cause K is awesome [My name is Katie]). Also, I know nothing about Skype. Don't judge me._

_R&IR&IR&I_

Jane was bored.

In fact, she would go so far as to say she was _unbelievably_ bored.

Sighing in frustration, she checked the clock for the umpteenth time, only to see that the hands had barely moved since the last time she checked and vaguely, she wondered if it was too late to Skype Maura. Usually Saturday night was their night, after all... they watched movies, Maura put out healthy food that Jane resolutely ignored (after about half an hour, Maura generally ignored it too, stealing handfuls of Jane's chips when she thought Jane wasn't looking), and they just lazed around on the couch. Their choices of what to watch generally alternated between documentaries, action movies, rom coms (Maura's not-so-secret obsession) or sport. It was fun. It was relaxing. It was enjoyable.

And it wasn't happening tonight. Because Maura had to go to a Medical Examiner's convention.

Jane groaned, throwing her head back and staring at the ceiling. _Was_ it too late to Skype? It was... 11:30pm. Oh, no, wait, 11:31. Yippee. And... yes, probably too late. Maura was most likely asleep now, dreams of autopsies and stomach contents running around in her head. But despite herself, Jane sat forward and opened up her laptop, glancing around the room as she waited for it to wake from 'sleep' mode. When her eyes fell on the tablet dispenser that was still sitting on her bench, a fond grin lit up her face. Maura and her vitamins... "Adorable little weirdo..." Jane muttered, standing up and flicking open 'Saturday' compartment to ensure that she had in fact taken her vitamins for that day. She didn't want to think about Maura's reaction were Jane to forget... the guilt trip would be horrible. The little compartment was empty though, so Jane moved back to the couch, looking at the screen of her laptop.

"Oh, did I..." she mumbled, glancing at the Skype window that was still displayed. "Must have forgotten." She touched her finger to the pad, moving the mouse to the exit button when...

_*crash, bang, thump*_

Jane's eyes widened and her gaze darted back to the black window. "What the...?" she muttered, tilting the laptop slightly so she could see more clearly and she squinted at the darkened room that was barely visible on her screen. "Maura?" she called out tentatively. There was no response, but Jane had suspected there might not be... Maura had obviously also forgotten to shut down the call during their last chat. Unsurprising really, Jane mused, considering the craziness that had been going on when she called.

_"__Come on, Karla, it's time to go..."_ Jane jumped as Maura's muffled voice came through the speakers, and watched as the side of the screen lit up, illuminating just enough of the room for Jane to see that Maura's laptop was obviously partially facing the wall. She drummed her fingers on her knee as she decided what to do. She could end the call herself of course... but then she'd miss out on hearing Maura conversing with the drunken Karla, and... well, Maura _was_ awfully funny and slightly adorable when she got flustered. Ignoring the internal voice that lectured her about invasion of privacy, she decided to wait until Karla left before enlightening Maura as to her presence, and, pulling the laptop onto her lap, sat back on the couch to wait. "_Karla... Karla, what are you doing?"_

_"__I like your bed. You have a good bed."_

Maura's voice sounded frustrated even as she replied politely. "_Thank you, yes, I do find it satisfactory. I'm sure your bed is quite adequate as well though, which is why..."_

_"__Your bed is _here _though." _Jane heard a muffled thump, which she was almost sure was the intoxicated Karla thumping the mattress decisively. Jane rolled her eyes.

"Come on Maura, tell her where to stick it..." she breathed quietly.

"_I... well, yes. It is. But, Karla, this is _my _bed. _I _need to be able to sleep in it. So... can you please?"_

_"__I think I want to stay right here. You can join me if you like..."_ Jane frowned. Was that a flirtatious tone? She squinted at the screen again, cursing the fact that she couldn't see what was going on.

_"__I... no. Thank you Karla, but you need to get back to your room. Though maybe..." _Jane heard Maura sigh heavily,_ "__maybe someone _should _stay with you tonight... in case you regurgitate and asphyxiate upon it..."_

"Really Maura? _Really?_" Jane muttered, shaking her head.

_"__I can stay!"_ There was a noise of loud celebration and Jane almost smiled even as she rolled her eyes yet again, imagining Maura's arms waving frantically as she attempted to say no without potentially offending the drunken Karla.

"Maura, you are just too nice for your own good," Jane said quietly, heading to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. When she returned, Karla was obviously still celebrating and Maura was getting increasingly desperate.

_"__Jane, where are you when I need you?"_ she muttered in a voice so low that Jane had to strain to hear, but the sound of her name was enough to capture her attention

It also seemed to be enough to capture Karla's attention as the loud whooping suddenly stopped. _"__Who's Jane?"_

There was a brief pause. Jane imagined Maura opening and shutting her mouth a few times, her always demonstrative hands twitching slightly at her sides. _"__I... she's my... my best friend. We work together. But she's my best... my best friend."_

A few muffled sounds of bed springs squeaking. Jane wondered what was going on. _"__Your... your best *hiccup* friend?"_

Jane narrowed her eyes. Why did it suddenly sound as though Karla was holding an interrogation? A slightly slurred interrogation to be sure, but...

_"__I... yes."_

_"__Oh my God!"_ Karla squealed with a kind of definite clarity that was only permitted to the very young or the very drunk._ "__You liiiiike her! Do you like her?" _Jane rolled her eyes and took another sip of water.

_"__She's my best friend. Of course I like her."_

There was a loud giggle._ "__That's not what I mean! I mean..." _A pause was followed by a very wet sounding burp. Jane winced. _"__Whoa, that didn't taste so good."_

Maura's voice was instantly concerned. _"__Do you need to go to the bathroom?"_

_"__No!"_ Karla squealed. _"__I wanna talk to yoooou. I like yooou."_

_"__Okay..."_ Maura said slowly, and then, haltingly, _"__but I really think it's time to go back to your room now..."_

_"__No."_ Karla sounded decisive. "_I wanna talk about Jan."_

_"__Jane."_

_"__I... yes. Jane."_

_"__...I... um. Okay._" Maura sounded very hesitant, and Karla instantly put her sing-song voice back on.

_"__Do you looooove her? Do you want to be her loooover?"_

_"__I... Karla, let's get you back to your room..."_

_"__Answer first! AnswER answER answER..." _By the sounds of things, Karla had obviously found some to turn into her own personal drum and was now using it to accentuate her chanting.

_"__I... No. No, she's just... my friend. Just my friend."_

A pause, and Jane looked at the laptop, wondering what was going on. She hoped Maura would be able to get rid of Karla soon... while this was entertaining, Jane was also feeling awkward for Maura's sake.

_"__You don't love her?"_ Karla asked, sounding disappointed, but then she hollered. "_Whoa, d'you usually get like... big red blotches on your...wow. Boobs... nice boobs... wait, are those hives?"_ Jane rolled her eyes. Seriously. Did _everyone_ have to hit on Maura? Suddenly, it hit her though... hives? She sat up, gripping the laptop tightly.

_"__I... yes. They are hives."_

A pause in which Karla obviously poked Maura's chest, because the next thing Maura said was...

_"__Oh, please don't touch... they're itchy..."_

_"__Why do you... d'you have... them?"_

A pause. Jane turned her ear towards the laptop, listening intently. When the silence lasted more than a few seconds, she silently panicked. What if she'd been inexplicably rendered deaf suddenly and without warning? How would she hear Maura's answer then? But finally, Maura replied. _"__I ate Brazil nuts."_

_"__Oh." _Karla seemed disappointed by the response, but it seemed for the best as, judging by the sounds of it, Maura was finally able to coax her out the door. Jane lifted the bottle of water to her mouth shakily as she waited for Maura's return.

She felt like her brain was ticking over at a million miles an hour.

Maura said that she didn't want to be Jane's lover; that she didn't love Jane. And then she got hives. Jane didn't know of any _actual_ allergies Maura had, besides the fabricated Brazil nuts one, so her only possible conclusion was... Maura had lied.

_But why would she lie?_

It didn't seem likely that Maura would actually _want_ to sleep with Jane. But then... the hives.

But Maura... she would _talk_ to Jane about something like that... wouldn't she?

Unless... Jane shook her head. Maybe she had only just figured it out. Maybe she worried that Jane would have a bad reaction.

_And that leads to the question... what _would _my reaction be?_

Jane stood up and began pacing, staring at her laptop every now and then.

She loved Maura, that was for sure. She drove Jane to the brink of insanity at times, but Jane still thought she was adorable and rarely got angry with her (getting angry was an all too frequent occurrence with anyone else). She fit in well with Jane's family, Jane loved spending time with her, and Maura would never, ever try to change Jane into being who _she_ wanted her to be... Jane sighed. _Maybe I... maybe she... _The sound of a door closing snapped her out of her thoughts. She listened as Maura moved into the room, and could visualize her stretching out her neck, reaching her arms high in an attempt to work out muscle kinks before going to bed. Maura usually liked doing at least 15 minutes of yoga before bed, Jane knew, but perhaps she felt a little uncomfortable doing it in such a strange environment. Jane smiled, finally settling herself back on the couch, and her gaze focused on the corner of the screen, at an object she hadn't seen before... a shot glass.

"Why did you even have a party?" she blurted out, then winced at the shocked squeal that immediately sounded. "Sorry!"

_"__Jane?"_

"Yeah, I'm here. Well, not _there _here, I'm..." Jane floundered, finally calling out, "Laptop!"

Jane watched as her view was suddenly changed, dizzily whirling around to a scene with a backdrop of an ugly room and the centrepiece of a beautiful woman. "Oh. I thought you had maybe come here to rescue me."

"Yeah... no such luck."

"More's the pity."

"You seemed to handle Karla pretty well on your own anyway."

"I... oh. Yes, she was rather intoxicated. I..." Maura paused and flushed, looking down. "How much did you hear?"

Jane shrugged. "A fair bit. 5-10 minutes maybe."

Maura bit her lip. "She was very determined. Not... altogether uncommon... for individuals that are under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs... but I've had very little in the way of previous experience with... that." She stopped awkwardly, seemingly at a loss as to what to say next.

"Hey, I know what that's like. First time Tommy got drunk... whew!" Jane shook her head. "Very interesting. Had lots of questions... lots of stories to tell me..." she shuddered overdramatically, watching as Maura smiled, and then, despite herself, Jane felt her gaze drifting down to the red hives on Maura's chest. "Did, uh... did you remember to bring your Benadryl?"

"I... yes," Maura replied, then stopped, head down. Jane couldn't see what she was doing but she was betting that she was picking at the edge of her shirt... it was what she always did when she got nervous. "I... uh..." she finally said, looking at Jane out of the corner of her eye with an embarrassed smile turned grimace, "I ate Brazil nuts."

"Of course," Jane nodded, and Maura finally looked at Jane properly, a small smile curving up the sides of her mouth. Jane found herself smiling back, and the two sat in silence for a few moments, staring at each other, until there was a soft chime from inside the room. Maura turned to look at the clock.

"It's midnight!"

"Yep." Jane took another sip from her bottle, still watching Maura. She didn't look as 'made up' as she usually did... her makeup was almost completely gone – courtesy of a long day and a party-filled night – her hair was wild, and she looked tired. But Jane still thought she looked amazing. _Well_, she thought suddenly, _I guess that answers the question as to how I feel about her._ "I missed you," she finally admitted quietly, and Maura smiled.

"Next time, you should come with me!"

"Only if we can turn your room into a..." Jane paused as she recalled the exact wording, "a 'hospitality suite with an open bar'... again."

Maura laughed. "No. No, that is _not_ happening. Ever again."

"What a pity." Jane scratched her head, then asked again, "So... why did you do it in the first place?"

Maura sighed. "I wanted... I guess I wanted to..." she shrugged, "fit in?"

"Is that a statement or a question?"

Maura's shoulders drooped and she suddenly looked more exhausted than before. "I don't know."

"Maura..." Jane shook her head. "You... you're an amazing, quirky, intelligent woman."

"Who doesn't know how to get along with other human beings," Maura finished, her lower lip pouting out ever so slightly as she looked down at her lap.

"No..." Jane replied, then sighed. "What I was gonna say is... why try to fit in... when you're born to stand out?"

There was silence, then a suspicious sounding sniffle.

"Maura?"

"I miss you too, Jane."

Jane smiled, her hands instinctively reaching out, but when they met hard, unyielding plastic, she frowned slightly. She lowered them again and let out a disgruntled sigh that was so loud, she almost missed Maura's quiet voice.

"I'm sorry. I just... I didn't... know."

"You didn't know what?"

"I didn't..." Maura took a deep breath and glanced quickly at her webcam, and just as quickly looked away again, "_know._" Jane opened her mouth but before she could say anything, Maura was talking rapidly, "Human emotion is such a complex thing, you know. Scientists and theorists have been studying it for years upon years, with no real definitive conclusions as to _why_ we feel the things we do. Yes, there are chemical responses to various stimuli and..."

"Maura," Jane interrupted patiently, "what didn't you know?"

Maura didn't respond for such a long time that Jane began to think she wasn't going to, but finally, she spoke. "I didn't... know..." she breathed slowly and steadily for several beats, "that I was in love with you."

A breath of air escaped Jane's lungs in a slow whoosh, and she found herself staring down at her hands, feeling like she was drowning in the silence that followed.

"I'm... I'm sorry. I... I know it may not be what you want to hear..."

"I've turned down dates," Jane interrupted abruptly, her mouth operating without giving her any prior warning, "because I only wanted to spend time with you. I've told you things that I've never told anyone else and..." she shook her head, "I think you're the most beautiful person in the world."

"Jane?" Maura's voice sounded questioning and almost hopeful, but Jane still didn't look up at the screen.

"You put up with my family, you put up with _me..._ you never try to change me, even though I _have _changed since knowing you... I've become better."

"Jane..."

"Why'd you have to go away?" Jane finally asked after a long period of quiet contemplation, her gaze meeting Maura's through the Skype window, her voice raspy with barely suppressed emotion. "Why'd you have to have a party? Why did Karla have to be there? Why'd I... why did I have to fall in love too?"

There was a long pause. "Jane?" Maura asked, her voice cracking on the single syllable.

"Why aren't you here?" Jane continued quietly, "When all I want to do is kiss you?"

After an indeterminate amount of time, Maura finally spoke. "Did we really just tell each other that we loved each other... over Skype?" she asked, her voice tremulous and shaky.

"Yeah..." Jane said, then laughed slightly. "Sorry. I probably destroyed your girlish dreams of romance."

"No..." Maura whispered, with a brief shake of her head. "No. You just outdid them all."

"I love you, Maura."

"I love you more."

END.

_Yes, you know what, this sucks. And it ends... weirdly. I DON'T EVEN CARE. I just wanted to post something, ANYTHING, because my brain hates me and tells me everything I write at the moment is pure crap. And I've been feeling like shit lately. But yaaay holidays at the moment! Even though I have to go to a staff meeting tomorrow night... grr. Anyway. Review. Or not. But I will love you extra if you do. :-D Love to all! _


	2. Chapter 2

_Um, so I did another chapter of this. I think I like this one better. I think I'll post one more chapter after this and then be done with it. But let me know what you guys think._

_Also, YAY to the death of the writer's block! I am actually semi happy with stuff I write again! Woo :-P_

_Okay, on to the chapter (thanks to Guestt who pointed out I should be saying on to instead of onto... I can't reply to your reviews but I appreciate them! If you even read this... anyway)!_

_R&IR&IR&I_

CHAP TWO

Jane stared at the closed laptop. She stood up, turning resolutely away. "I don't need to call. She'll be back tomorrow." She walked over to the kitchen and opened the fridge, staring into it blankly, then just as resolutely as she had left it, she found herself shutting the fridge again, returning to the couch, and once more staring at her laptop. "She'll be back tomorrow," she repeated quietly. "Tomorrow..."

Her hand snuck out and one of its fingers hit the power button.

_That's okay. I just want to play a game of Solitaire. That's all._

Jo Friday whimpered at her feet. Jane looked at her. "I've got it bad, don't I girl?" Jo simply stared so Jane patted the couch next to her in an invitation she knew that Jo would never decline. Sure enough, not two seconds later the little dog was snuggled up to her side, while Jane picked up the laptop and settled it on her lap, leaning back against the cushions. Jo snuffled against her at the movement but quickly settled back into a comfortable position again, while Jane stared at the glaring Skype icon that seemed to be almost daring her to click on it.

"Solitaire. I want to play _Solitaire._"

She clicked on Skype.

"She'll be back tomorrow," Jane muttered. "This is silly. I don't need to speak to her. I spoke to her last night."

Jo huffed, opening one eye and staring up at Jane balefully.

"Sorry girl. Guess I should be quiet and let you get some rest."

Jo huffed again, this time sounding as though she was in agreement, and lowered her head again, closing her eye. Jane stared at the laptop. She clicked Maura's name, and stared at the small icon displaying her picture.

"I just... I miss her, you know?"

Jo let out a huge sigh and rested her head on Jane's knee, both eyes now open as she stared up at her mistress. Jane touched the laptop pad, moving the mouse to the call button then looked at Jo.

"Do _you_ wanna call her? It'd make me feel better."

Jo blinked.

"Look, it's easy, just..." she gently took one of Jo's paws, guiding it to the laptop pad and letting it thump down. The mouse pointer skittered across the screen.

Jo looked at her.

"Okay, fine, I'll do it. But it's just to help you out, okay? You won't tell on me, right?"

Jo yawned.

Jane frowned. "I'll take that as a yes." Quickly moving the mouse back to the 'call' button, she quickly clicked on it and waited, casually stroking down Jo's fur in the meantime and deliberately not looking at the screen.

"Jane?"

Jane bit her lip. "Jo missed you." She continued to look down at the little dog. "She was all whiney and stuff."

"She didn't swallow anything, did she? Small dogs tend to only have a small gullet and can therefore choke quite easily on..."

"Maura!" Jane interrupted, frustrated. "Can't you tell when I'm bullshitting by now?"

"I... oh. So... _you_ missed me then." Jane could hear the smile in her voice and had to bite back on a smile herself.

"Maaaybe. Do you miss me?"

"Yes." The confession was instant, though only voiced quietly, and Jane immediately felt her breath catch in her throat. "In fact, I miss you so much that I'm having trouble remembering what you look like... since you're not looking at me..."

Jane sighed, then lifted her gaze to the monitor. The sight was overwhelming. Maura was wearing a dark blue dress that Jane was pretty sure was new. In fact, she didn't think she had ever seen it before... "Have you seriously been _shopping_? When you're supposed to be at a _Medical Examiners Convention?_"

Maura's bottom lip poked out. "You say that like it's a bad thing. I still went to all the lectures. I just... went shopping too."

"Of course you did."

Maura frowned. "Shopping has been shown to have therapeutic benefits! It has the ability to lower blood pressure, increase br..."

"Yeah, well, how come it increases _my_ blood pressure then?"

Maura raised her chin haughtily. "I can't help it if you're strange."

Jane broke into surprised laughter. "Oh God, Maura, we'll make a smartass of you yet." She watched as Maura smiled proudly, then added in a soft voice, "You do look beautiful though."

A flush fanned out across Maura's cheeks and chest. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Jane hesitated, looking down at Jo, who had managed to fall asleep again despite the talking and laughter above her. "Do you think..." she broke off, unsure if she should voice her thoughts. She didn't want to upset Maura, after all, but...

"Do I think what?"

"That..." Jane took a deep breath, fortifying her nerves, "that it'll be weird tomorrow. Seeing each other again. Do you think it... will be weird?"

"Because we told each other we loved each other?"

Jane smiled. "Something like that, yeah."

Maura looked down at her lap, seeming to seriously consider it. "Maybe. Maybe it will."

"Maura!" Jane groaned. "You're supposed to be comforting me here! Soothing my doubts and all that jazz!"

Maura laughed. "Sorry. But... you know, any relationship that goes through a period of extreme change also goes through a period of... awkwardness. Or at least, it usually does."

"Do you think _we_ will?"

"Well, we're talking comfortably right now."

"Yeah, but.." Jane gesticulated wildly, almost dislodging the laptop and causing a frustrated Jo Friday to wake up, send her a look of deep disgust and hop off the couch, "this is just... over Skype. It's not in person."

"Do you want to kiss me right now?"

Jane's eyes instantly darted down to pink lips. "I... yes."

"So..." Maura half shrugged, "I think we'll be okay."

"Just because I want to kiss you?"

"No..." Maura smiled, her chin lowering as she continued to look at Jane through her eyelashes. "It's also because I want to kiss you too."

Jane felt a flush breaking out across her own cheeks and looked down, thanking heaven for her Italian heritage... the flush was not as apparent for her as it always was for Maura.

"Plus, our friendship... it was the easiest thing in the world." Maura huffed out a shy laugh. "For me, anyway."

Jane looked up again. "It was?"

"Yes. You know that I've never really had a proper friend before... but..." she shrugged, "with you, it just... seemed to come so easily." She opened her mouth as though to say more but shut it again, lifting her shoulder and pursing her lips briefly.

"Yeah, well, the first time I came to stay over your house _was_ when an insane serial killer was chasing me, so you were good to let me in."

"I don't know if I would have done it for anyone else," Maura replied, smiling, then glanced over her shoulder as a knock sounded at her door.

"Who's that?"

Maura smiled. "Sorry, I... uh, I invited a few people over to play Autopsy Jeopardy."

"Right," Jane nodded, "well, that seems more like your type of party at least."

"I... oh." Maura glanced over her shoulder impatiently as the knock sounded again. "Hang on."

"Okay."

Jane waited as Maura walked away from the screen.

_"__Hi, hi, no, no, that's fine... I was just talking to J... uh, that is, a colleague of mine. Please, do come in, make yourself comfortable... I've set the game up on the table over there..."_

Jane glanced over towards Jo as she waited for Maura to come back. "Jo. Jo! Come on, girl, come here..."

Jo lifted her head and gave her a dirty look.

"Right, never mind then."

"Hi! I'm Gary, you must be Maura's colleague...?"

"Uh..." Jane turned back to the screen, raising an eyebrow at the middle aged, balding man who was waving enthusiastically, "Jane. I'm Jane. Hi."

'Gary' was pushed unceremoniously aside and a familiar brunette haired woman filled the screen. "Hi! I'm Karla!"

Jane recoiled slightly. "Hi. Jane."

Karla frowned. "Jane... Jane... why does that name seem familiar... Maura, were we talking about a Jane last night?"

Maura appeared on the screen once more. "Uh, yes, but it was nothing important..." she said offhandedly, shooing Karla, Gary and several other unnamed waving people towards the table before sitting back down at the desk. "See, I was thinking about what you said last night," she said, talking as though their chat hadn't been interrupted at all, "about not doing anything I felt uncomfortable with."

"Which conversation?"

Maura frowned. "The first one. So I... changed my policy."

Jane grinned. "No more open hospitality bar then?"

"Hospitality suite with an open bar," Maura corrected. "And no. Definitely not." She glanced over her shoulder and leaned in closer, "Karla threw my toilet seat out the window."

"Uh... why?"

"It kept hitting her in the head when she was vomiting."

"Right, of course. That makes sense. Why _wouldn't_ you throw the toilet seat out the window?" Jane wiggled her eyebrows and found herself grinning hugely when Maura started laughing.

"Oh Jane, I..." she began, her eyes crinkling with mirth, and Jane found herself staring at that one deep dimple on her left cheek.

"Maura, come on!" Karla called. Jane frowned.

"Be nice," Maura warned softly, before calling back over her shoulder, "Be there in a minute!"

"Wait!" Karla's voice rang out again and Jane found herself leaning to the side as though to peer around Maura. She let out a frustrated sigh when the view didn't change. "Jane! I remember now! I remember where I know that name from! When we were talking last night!"

Maura's eyes widened and she quickly turned around. "Karla, you were intoxicated, you can't be expected to have 100% accurate recall..."

"She's the one you're in love with! Right?"

Maura turned back to the computer, her eyes shutting and her face crinkling in embarrassment.

"I'm right, aren't I?"

"Dr. Isles is a _lesbian_?" one of the other medical examiners said in awe.

Maura slowly let herself sink forward.

"Oh, did... did Jane not know? Um... sorry Jane! Forget I said anything! I was pretty drunk last night, so I'm probably wrong anyway. My head's sore. Does anyone have some vodka?"

Jane put a hand over her mouth in an attempt to stifle the hysterical laughter that threatened to bubble out and over, as Maura grabbed the laptop and excused herself. Jane was treated to a short walk (apparently, anyway: all she could see was Maura's waist and an occasional glimpse of a blurry background) before finally Maura's laptop was set on a bench in what appeared to be a bathroom. Maura knelt down in front of it.

"Sorry."

"I... uh... I think Karla might be an alcoholic," Jane whispered, laughter still threatening.

"Great. That makes two of them. Popov and her."

"Just don't get either of them to relieve you if you go on holidays, and all will be fine." Maura smiled, and there was a brief silence.

"I better get back out there. They're probably thinking I'm having Skype sex with you or something."

Jane wiggled her eyebrows.

"No, Jane. Call me old fashioned, but I'd like to at least kiss you before engaging in intimate relations over a Skype connection."

Jane laughed. "Yeah. Me too. You... uh..." she hesitated, picking at the bottom of her shirt, "you're definitely coming home tomorrow, yeah?"

Maura's face softened. "Yes. I'll be there around 3pm."

"Good." She hesitated again, then with what felt like an insane burst of courage, stared straight into Maura's eyes. "I really do miss you."

"I miss you too."

"Do... do you think it will be weird?"

Maura smiled softly. "I don't think anything will change. Except that I will be able to kiss you too."

"And other things.

"Yes, and do other things."

Jane bit her lip. "I better let you get back to your Jeopardy game."

"Yes. One game and then I'm showing them my slideshow. I love you."

"No, don't do that to... Maura? Maura?"

Jane slumped back on the couch grumpily.

"I _guess_ I love you too."

END CHAP 2.

_WEEEEE *notices people staring* *stops running around room* Sorry. Little bit hyper. Feeling a little less sore today so yaay! :-D But my holidays are officially over :-( But it's the weekend! :-D And my first day back at work I'm not even with my babies... :-( But I'm in the office which equals extra pay! :-D_

_Sorry. Slight bipolar moment there. Anyway. If you think I should do one more chapter for when they are actually finally together, let me know. I know that's kinda what you guys wanted HERE but I was still envisioning Maura having one more night and I couldn't imagine Jane just NOT conversing with her for that one night. Come on, these guys are SO married, whether they want to accept it or not. Like seriously, one time mum and I went away together without my father (this was a good 13-14 years ago, cause unfortunately we just never really DID holidays that involve actually going places very often) and he called mum or mum called him every night cause they missed each other. JANE AND MAURA DO THIS! MARRIED! Seriously!_

_Okay, so review please, or not, but I will love you extra if you do. Etc. :-D Love to all!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Another chapter! I know, right? The writers block has well and truly gone. And good riddance! :-D Okay, so... it turns out I had more to say than I originally thought. So while I could end it here, I also think I could add another chapter. Let me know, k?_

_On to the story!_

_R&IR&IR&I_

CHAP THREE

2:15. It was only 2:15pm. Jane flung herself backwards on her computer chair and groaned loudly. How was it possible that the day was going so unbelievably, so _unbearably_ slowly? She pressed deeply onto her closed eyelids until it hurt, then let her hands flop down by her side, sitting up and blinking around owlishly as her vision cleared.

Good _God_, she hated doing paperwork. And doing paperwork on a day when she was awaiting Maura's return? Positively torture. She glared at the stack of paperwork in question before proceeding to resolutely ignore it, choosing instead to stare at a clock that, despite her heartfelt death threats, wishes and, dare she say it, _prayers_, refused to tick time by any quicker.

She was desperate to see Maura. She _missed _her. And, despite Maura's reassurances last night, Jane was still worried that things would be strange between them. It made sense that it would be, didn't it? To go from a friendship to more... Jane could remember a time when she and a schoolmate went from being friends to trying to pursue a relationship. "Billy..." she whispered, and smiled softly. He was handsome for a young lad of only 12 tender years... his eyes were wide set and the deepest brown imaginable. His skin was olive toned and no blemishes marred it as far as she could see. But his hair... his hair was the real kicker for a young, besotted Jane Rizzoli. It was a bright, startling blonde, long and wavy. It should have looked strange on such an obviously Italian child, but somehow it didn't, somehow it suited him like no other hair colour possibly could. Jane and Billy were friends from the ages of just-barely-7 and 6-almost-7 respectively, but when they began approaching the tumultuous teenage years, those feelings of friendship began to change into something else... something sweet, mysterious, and deeply alluring to two youngsters who were only just beginning to discover what their bodies were for. They shared a secret kiss on Billy's 12th birthday, but by the time Jane was officially 12 and a half, only a short three months later, their budding relationship had soured. They had begun to feel awkward around each other; the easy casual vibe of their friendship squashed because of their hormones. Regretfully, and with no small amount of sadness, they decided that the first relationship of their young lives should end, but both vowed to remain friends.

"We never did..." Jane whispered, and stared at a photo of Maura that she had taped to the desk under her keyboard. It was actually a photo of the both of them, hugging each other after the Boston Marathon. Angela had taken it when she thought neither was looking but Jane had caught her, bitched her out and proceeded to confiscate the photos. Most of the pictures from that day had been deleted with haste but the one of the two of them... Jane kept that one.

"She'll be back soon."

Jane jumped and let her keyboard fall back on the desk with a loud clatter, spinning around to face her brother. "What?"

"Maura. I said she'll be back soon."

"How'd you know I was..." Jane shook her head, "I mean, yeah, and?"

"_And_, you miss her," Frankie replied, pulling an unused computer chair over and straddling it. "You were looking at that damn picture. You only look at that when you miss her."

Jane schooled her expression into a picture of blank incomprehension. "What picture?"

Frankie laughed. "You don't keep secrets as well as you think you do. Or at least, you don't keep your own secrets well anyway. I've known about that picture ever since you put it there."

Jane frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Liar."

"Fine. I've known about it since maybe..." he paused, considering, "a week after you put it there. But still. I knew where you hid your diary as a kid too."

Jane's mouth fell open. "You did not!"

"Yep. Tucked into a pillowcase that was filled up with face washers and stuff, then thrown under your bed. You kept the key taped to the inside of your sock drawer."

"You little..." She raised a hand threateningly but he lifted his hands in surrender.

"Hey, you should be thanking me. Do you know how many times Ma tried to wash that pillowcase and those washcloths? I rescued them each time."

Jane grunted. "Hmm. But of course you didn't _read_ my diary... right?"

Frankie shrugged, folding his arms once more. "I'm your little brother. It was practically my responsibility."

Jane let out a frustrated groan and turned back to her computer, hitting random keys in an attempt to look busy.

"Hmm. Well, big sis, gotta say that you've got a great report happening there," Frankie said, leaning over her shoulder. "Quick question though... 'Teryignhaop'? What is that?"

"Nothing..." Jane hit the backspace button with excessive force.

"Oh. Okay. Gee, you know what, I bet Maura would know," Frankie added slyly. "Or, you know, she'd say 'maybe you meant to say..." he shrugged, his eyes wandering as he seemed to search for a lengthy enough word, his eyes, sparkling with mischief, finally landing back on Jane's, "terignophobia. Which is a fear of, you know... terig-nobs."

Jane couldn't help herself, she started laughing. "Terignobs? Really? You're a dork."

Frankie smiled and nodded. "Yeah, maybe so. But c'mon..." he punched her lightly in the shoulder, "what's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Jane," he countered, looking at her seriously now and Jane felt the smile drop off her face as she studied him in return. He was her little brother after all... family... and while he _was_ a pain in the butt at times, he was also a damn good kid.

"Come with me," she said quickly, and stood up, heading into the break room. She didn't look behind her to check if Frankie was following: she knew he would.

Thankfully the room was empty when Jane arrived. She didn't know what she would have done if there were people in here. Pitched a fit, maybe. Nothing felt outside the realms of possibility today, not when her nerves were as stretched and tenuous as they were. She waited until Frankie sat down before closing the door, hesitating briefly then dragging a chair over to place in front of it. At least that way, she figured, if someone tried to come in they'd have some prior warning.

"What's up?" Frankie asked placidly, and Jane started pacing, feeling Frankie's eyes following her movements. She paced back and forth across the room for several long moments before speaking. She could only get five paces in before needing to turn, four if she really rushed, but she made them all count, whirling at the last possible minute and starting the count again.

Finally... "Do you remember Billy?"

"Billy?" Frankie asked, his brow furrowing. "The kid you were friends with for a few years since you were like 8 or 9?"

"I was younger than that, but yeah."

"Yeah," Frankie said, nodding slowly, "I remember him... why?"

"Okay, well... I don't know if you know this, but when we were 12, we started dating for a while." Frankie raised an eyebrow. Jane rolled her eyes. "We were 12!" she exclaimed, then heaved a sigh, clarifying, "We kissed and held hands."

"Right. Yeah, I remember."

"It, uh... it didn't last long. Things got weird between us."

"Weird?"

"Yeah." Jane shrugged. "Like... we didn't know what to talk about anymore."

Frankie shrugged. "Sometimes that happens."

"Yeah, well... we promised each other we'd stay friends, but..." Jane took a deep breath and let it out slowly, finally going over to the table and sitting down, "we never did. I lost him as a friend and it... it was really upsetting at the time."

"Okay..." Frankie said slowly, "but you know, you were just a kid. That sort of thing... it happens. Even as adults, it happens."

"Yeah. I know, but..." Jane found herself standing up again, her entire body seeming to be thrumming with energy that was impossible to contain, "it got me thinking."

"Oka-a-ay..." Frankie's eyes watched her movements cautiously.

"And... okay. Um... you remember Troy? I was 15, he was 16..." She waited for Frankie's nod before continuing. "We were friends for a couple of months, then we went out on two dates. It felt weird to be dating, so we decided to stay friends."

"Right..." Frankie said, when Jane stopped and stared at him, making it clear she was waiting for him to say something.

"We didn't stay friends, Frankie! We tried, but it got too..."

"Weird. Yeah. I get it."

"Okay, then..." Jane started pacing once more, "what about Sam Michaels?"

"That guy you met at the police academy?"

"Yeah!" Jane gestured emphatically, feeling her voice getting more high pitched in her increasing hysteria, "Friends, tried dating, didn't work, back to friends, but oh no, I'm sorry, that just won't work anymore!"

"Jane, I don't..." Frankie started but stopped abruptly when Jane stopped in front of him and poked him in the chest.

"Casey."

"Ow! And... what _about_ Casey?"

"We were friends. Then we tried dating. Then he asked me to marry him, I turned him down, we decided to break it off but oh no, wait, I'm pregnant with his kid. Last time we talked, it was just..." she shook her head and slowly sunk down in her chair again. She propped her elbows up on the table and let her head fall into her hands wearily, "weird."

"Jane..."

"Do you think it happens all the time?"

Frankie frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Do you think that... _that_, that going from friends to more thing... d'ya think that... it always leads to weirdness? That the entire friendship will end up breaking up because they... y'know, tried to pursue something more?"

"No-o-o..." Frankie began slowly, but Jane interrupted, her mind racing.

"I mean, like... maybe friendship is all we're supposed to have. Maybe to ask for anything more is asking, y'know, the universe or God or whatever for too much. Maybe... maybe we should all just be grateful for what we've got and..."

"And... what? And risk missing out on something that could be truly spectacular?" Frankie broke in, grabbing Jane's hands. "Janey, the best relationships can come from friendships. If you don't try... you'll never know."

"Yeah, because we both have the best track records when it comes to relationships," Jane scoffed, shaking her head. "God, the whole family! Mum, divorced, single but who knows with Cavanaugh, Tommy is... well, Tommy. You... single, had a girlfriend that tried to kill us both, me, pregnant and single, and Pop! God only knows."

"Yeah, he's living it up with some skinny little blonde chick probably."

Jane huffed out a laugh. "Yeah. Probably. They're always blonde, right?"

"Right..." He shook his head and smiled fondly at Jane. "Look, Jane... I mean it. You have to give it a go. The best relationships..."

"...come from friendships, I know, I just... I..." Jane looked up at him, only slightly surprised to feel a tear rolling down her cheek, "I can't lose her Frankie. I can't. What if we... we do this... and I end up losing her? I... I..."

Frankie squeezed her hands tightly. "Hey, since when is _Jane Rizzoli_ ever scared of anything, huh? Maura _loves_ you, Jane. You love her. You guys have got something that most people only dream of. I know it's scary, but you need to pursue this. You once said to me..." he said softly, waiting until Jane raised her gaze to meet his, "that you hoped that when you die, you wouldn't have any regrets. This, Jane... I can guarantee you that _this_ will be one of your regrets if you don't pursue it."

"What if..." her gaze skittered away before coming back to his hesitantly, "it becomes one of my regrets because I _did_ pursue it?"

He shrugged and leaned back. "Well... at least you'll have some awesome memories."

Jane let out a soft laugh and looked down at the table, using one of her newly released hands to discreetly wipe her eyes. "By the way," she asked, "how'd you know I was talking about Maura?"

Frankie grinned. "I'll say it again... you don't keep secrets as well as you think you do."

Jane shook her head and reached out, punching him hard on the arm. "Ha. Well... thanks, little brother."

"Ow! You're not welcome, you big bully..." he muttered, rubbing his arm, but smiled at her anyway. She smiled back, but got suspicious when his smile didn't fade.

"What?"

"I was just wondering when you were going to go back out to your desk."

Jane frowned. "Why?" she asked slowly.

Frankie shrugged. "I don't know. There might be someone waiting for you, that's all."

Jane's mouth dropped open and her eyes darted to the clock on the wall. "No, but... it's only 2:48! She said approximately 3!"

Frankie shrugged. "Hey, it's 12 minutes to 3. I think that counts as approximately 3. Don't you?"

"I..." Jane trailed off and stood up, kicking the chair back with such force that it almost fell over before heading for the door. She pulled the chair out of the way and then hesitated.

"Jane..." He said softly, encouragingly

She looked at him. "Make some good memories, yeah?"

He smiled. "No regrets."

Jane nodded and opened the door, striding purposefully down the hallway, back to her desk, stopping abruptly in the doorway as she took in the sight of Maura sitting in her chair, honey blonde curls cascading over the back of it, chatting to Korsak enthusiastically. He glanced over towards her, then turned his gaze back to Maura and gave a significant nod in Jane's direction. Maura turned.

Jane felt her breath catch in her throat. How could one person look so beautiful?

"Go on..." she felt a prod in her back and slowly, feeling as though her feet were lead, started walking closer, watching as Maura's face lit up and she stood up.

"Hi," Jane whispered.

"Hi," Maura smiled.

Mindful of the room full of cops, Jane pulled Maura into a hug. "Welcome home."

"Glad to be here," Maura replied, then, tucking her face more firmly into Jane's neck, she added, "with you."

When the two women finally separated but still held hands, Korsak smiled at them. "Dirty Robber tonight?"

"Yeah," Maura nodded, looking at Jane. "Yeah. I think I'd like that."

"I think I'd like that a lot," added Jane, then glanced over as Frankie clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Time to make some more good memories."

"Sounds good to me," Maura smiled.

"Me too Maura. Me too."

END CHAP THREE.

_Like I said, I could end this here... it might be a nice ending spot. Or I could add one more chapter. I'm of two minds about it, so let me know what you think please. Do you want more, or will it be pushing it a bit?_

_Love to all! xo_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hmm, seems the majority have spoken. This will be the final chapter for this story._

_Thank you so much for all the amazing feedback! For a story that I honestly did not like at first to receive such an overwhelming response... I can't even begin to express my gratitude. Thank you! You are all amazing! xo_

_Oh, I also received some criticism (some constructive, some not) on the last chapter that made me go back and have a look at it... I've now updated it and hopefully improved it a lot. Feel free to go back and have a squiz... I added about 500 words just to fill in the background a bit and to make it feel a little less rushed. Thank you and as always, I welcome your opinion. Please do not feel the need to hide behind anonymity though... I am a very reasonable person and always endeavour to be polite._

_To the reviewers who expressed dismay that their first real meeting will be in the Dirty Robber... do not despair! Have some faith in your author. ;-) _

_I have decided to keep this one rated T, so while I imply that fun times were had, I do not venture there with this story. Some readers may be disappointed, but I felt it didn't fit here. Please check out 'The Story of... well, sex' for smut chapters. :-D_

_Onwards to the chapter, dear readers! :-)_

_R&IR&IR&I_

CHAP FOUR

"So, were there any interesting characters at this year's conference, Maura?" Frankie asked, grabbing the chair he had so recently vacated and straddling it again.

Maura, who was standing so close to Jane that their arms touched, bit her lip. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, you know... Dr Pike, Popov, the cowboy doctor..."

"He is actually a fine forensic scientist! Without him, we almost certainly could not have retrieved the partial prints from the bullet casing for that case where..." Maura trailed off, looking up at Jane.

"For that case where I got kidnapped, yeah."

"Sorry, I didn't..."

"It's all right, Maura. These guys saved me, and they couldn't have done it without your help... I'm fine."

Maura smiled, leaning into Jane a fraction more. "I'm glad."

Jane's smile widened and the two women stared at each other until Korsak cleared his throat. "Uh, ladies?"

Jane jumped. "Uh... yeah. What?"

"Uh..." he looked a bit awkward, "were there? Any interesting characters at the convention, I mean."

Jane laughed. "Oh yeah. Maura found the female version of Dr Popov."

"To be fair," Maura reasoned, "we have no proof that she is actually an alcoholic. Though she was certainly..." she gestured with her hands, her facial expression conveying discomfort as she tried to phrase herself delicately, "_... enthusiastic_... about alcoholic beverages this past weekend, I have no evidence that proves that that is her _usual_ behaviour."

"How anyone solves a murder outside of Boston is beyond me," Jane added, his hand coming up and rubbing Maura's arm. "God knows we have the best medical examiner ever with us."

Maura's face softened and she looked down at the floor self consciously. "Thank you Jane. You are certainly the best detective I have ever had the pleasure of working with."

"Oh God..." Frankie groaned, just as Korsak sat up and pointed at Jane, his face twisted in a confused frown.

"Wait, how did _you_ know that Maura found the female Popov?"

Jane shrugged, letting her hand drop from Maura's arm (and instantly, she missed the contact). "I Skyped her."

"Hmm, I'm not sure if that's the correct way to say it..." Maura mused. Jane raised an eyebrow, her lips curving fondly. "It might be more grammatically correct to say that you called me via Skype."

"Maura, it..." Jane started, but when Maura looked up, she shook her head. "You know what, never mind. Doesn't matter."

"On the contrary Jane, correct grammatical structuring of sentences is very important!"

"Wait, you Skyped her?" Korsak broke in at this point, looking between the two of them. Maura raised a hand and opened her mouth to interrupt but Jane shook her head discreetly. Maura remained silent. "She was only gone for three days!"

"Yeah, so?" Jane replied defensively. "I missed her."

Maura smiled hugely. "I missed you too Jane. I was very grateful when you called me. It saved me from calling you."

Jane turned to Maura fully, reaching out to take her hand. "You missed me too?"

"You know I did..." she murmured. Frankie groaned.

"Oh God, you two are going to turn into one of those cutesy couples, aren't you?"

Korsak's mouth dropped open. "Huh?"

"No!" Jane retorted. "I don't _do_ cutesy."

"Ohhhh, yes you do. You do with Maura." Frankie rolled his eyes and stood up, swinging the chair around so he could sit on it properly, then leaning back and rubbing his eyes wearily. "God help me, Jane, if you make me watch your cutesy displays, I will show Maura some of your diary entries from when you were a kid."

"No, I..." Jane paused. "Wait, what diary entries?"

Frankie grinned.

"Goddamnit, you are the most _annoying_ person I..."

"You're a couple finally?" Korsak suddenly blurted out, the power of speech apparently returned.

Jane blinked. "Finally?"

"Yeah, we've been waiting for you two to get together..." he quailed under Jane's furious glare, blurting out the rest in a quiet voice, "for years."

"I...!" Jane started, but stopped when Korsak smiled sadly and looked over to Frost's vacant desk.

"I owe Frost $20," he said quietly, and Jane froze, her eyes going over to the action figure that stood a silent vigil. She felt Maura grip her arm. "He always had faith that you two would figure it out sooner rather than later." Korsak let out a short bark of laughter, "I thought it would be another five years yet."

"Yeah, well..." Jane shrugged, her eyes feeling hot and prickly. "He always was a lot smarter than you, old man."

"Yeah," Korsak nodded easily, his eyes slightly red rimmed, "he really was." He stood up and approached Jane, clapping her on the shoulder with a hand so heavy that Jane's knees almost buckled. "Go home, Jane."

Jane frowned. "But... this case, it..."

"No. Go home. We can handle the paperwork." He glanced at Maura, who smiled weakly, her own eyes watery. "Go be with Maura. We'll see you at the Dirty Robber tonight."

Jane felt her heart leap, but she had to be sure. "Are you..."

"Life is short, Jane," Frankie interrupted, and once more, all eyes were drawn to the lonely figure standing vigil on an abandoned desk. "Go make memories."

"Okay. Okay, I... okay." Jane grabbed Maura's hand gladly, looking down at the beaming woman. "Let's go, Maura." Maura headed towards the door, Jane following behind, but suddenly Jane hesitated and looked back at Frankie. "You _do_ realize that you essentially just told me to go have sex with my girlfriend, right?"

Frankie's face instantly screwed up in disgust. "Jane!"

Jane turned and continued walking out. "Payback for the diary thing. Ha!"

_R&IR&IR&I_

The walk down to Jane's car was quiet, the two women occasionally stealing glances at the other but not speaking. They were still at work, of course, even if not strictly 'on the clock', and the need to be professional was still there. Finally, the silence got too much for Jane. "Maura, I..."

"Yes?" Maura replied instantly, as though she had been waiting for Jane to speak for a long time.

Jane, however, could think of nothing to say. "Nothing." After a brief period of silence, she asked awkwardly, "Where's your luggage?"

"I asked my driver to deliver it to my house."

"Right. Of course." They fell silent again, the quiet only broken by the loud beep as Jane unlocked her car. Maura quickly climbed in the passenger side, and Jane hopped in the driver's side. She glanced at Maura out of the corner of her eye.

"Yes, Jane?"

"Nothing." Jane instantly turned her eyes forward again, took a huge breath and put the key in the ignition, turning the car on. She reversed out of her parking space and began driving towards Maura's house. Suddenly, she felt awkward. Should she be going to Maura's house? Maybe that was presumptuous. Maybe she should go to her own place. Oh, but then... maybe Maura didn't want to spend the afternoon together. She really shouldn't assume that she would. So maybe she'd pull up outside Maura's house, wait for her to get out, then see if anything was said about whether Jane should stay or not. Or whether she _could_ stay. What was the usual dating ritual when dating a woman? Did you have to wait for them to make the first move? What about the first _date_? Was tonight the first date? Would Jane have to pay? She _was_ the more masculine of the two, after all. Or was that an outdated concept? What if Maura was offended if Jane tried to pay? What if she was offended if Jane _didn't_? And then, because tonight probably _should_ be considered the first date, did that mean that Jane should wait until the end of the night to try to kiss Maura? And why the hell _wasn't Maura talking?_

_I knew it_. _I KNEW it. It's going to be weird. It is going to be weird, and we're not going to have anything to say to each other, and our friendship is going to break up and it's all because you just HAD to Skype her, you just HAD to... God, I'll miss her so much, fuck, how could I be so STUPID as to think this could work? How can I fix this? Should I pretend it never happened or..._

"Jane. We're here." Maura's voice cut into Jane's internal bitter diatribe and Jane stared out the window, blinking up at the familiar house that she seemed to spend so much time in... more time than her own place, she sometimes thought. "Jane."

"Hmm?" Jane undid her seatbelt and turned in her seat, seeing an exasperated, yet fond look on Maura's face. Vaguely, she wondered how many times Maura had called her name before she finally heard it. "Yeah? Sorry, I was just..."

"Overthinking. You were just overthinking."

"No, I wasn't," Jane lied instantly, then cringed when she saw Maura's raised eyebrow. "Okay. Maybe I was. But you weren't saying anything."

"And?"

"And... I thought we'd already run out of stuff to say?" Jane said, and her voice rose at the end, turning what was supposed to be a statement into a question. She winced almost straight away when she heard how weak and pathetic it sounded.

"Jane, we don't have to speak all the time. It doesn't mean we've run out of things to talk about."

Jane smiled down at her lap. "No... I guess you'll never run out of things to talk about, for one thing."

"And for another..." Maura's hand touched Jane's face, gently lifting it until Jane was looking directly at her, "I don't foresee me _ever_ getting sick of talking to you. Or getting sick of hearing _you_ talk."

"You're my best friend, Maura."

"And you're mine."

"But that's what I mean!" Jane exclaimed, "I just... you're my best friend. And now you're my... my girlfriend, I guess, and..."

"I like the sound of that," Maura broke in, smiling softly.

"Yeah, me too, but... I mean, what if we break up? What if that happens, Maura?"

"Then..." Maura shrugged, "we muddle our way through the awkward patches and come out the other side."

"But what if the other side means that... we're not friends?"

"It won't. We will _always_ be friends, Jane."

"How can you know that?" Jane whispered, hating herself for the neediness she could hear in her voice.

"Because..." Maura murmured, and took Jane's hand, "I would be miserable without you." She smiled at Jane. "I will fight for you Jane. I will always fight to have you in my life. You're my best friend, first and foremost. Everything else..." she shrugged, "is just... bonus."

Jane surprised herself by suddenly bursting into laughter.

"What? What? Jane, did I... what are you laughing at?" Maura asked, giggles eventually overtaking her as well.

"Nothing, I just..." Jane shook her head. "I just realized that I'm sitting in the car outside your house and... I really just want to kiss you right now."

"So? Why is that funny?"

"I just..." Jane laughed again. "We already destroyed your girlhood notions of romance by confessing our love for each other over Skype, I can't destroy our first kiss too by having it be in the car outside your house like some... some teenage couple, hiding from her dad!"

Maura smiled fondly. "Sometimes, Jane, growing up means letting go of childhood dreams."

"Yeah, but..." Jane shrugged awkwardly. "I don't know. I just think that you should have all of your childhood dreams come true."

"You didn't let me finish."

"I... right. Sorry."

"I was going to say..." Maura glanced down, then up again, both hands gripping Jane's now. "That sometimes... just sometimes... fantasies pale in comparison to real life. Sometimes, real life is better."

Jane winked. "Is that an invitation, Dr Isles?"

"What do you think, Detective?"

With that, Jane leaned forward, and Maura leaned forward too. Their lips met and Jane felt like an explosion had taken place inside of her belly. She found herself smiling into the kiss.

"I think, Dr Isles," she murmured, "that we should get inside and see what other fantasies we can kick in the ass."

"Sounds like a plan, Detective."

_R&IR&IR&I_

"You look happy. Wait, don't tell me."

Jane grinned. Frankie groaned.

"I said don't tell me!"

"I didn't!"

"You smiled _that_ smile," he groused. "That's as good as giving me a play by play."

"Well, if you _really_ want to know..." Jane started, then laughed as Frankie instantly put his fingers in his ears, singing loudly. Maura started laughing.

"You are evil."

"You love it," Jane whispered.

"I love _you_."

"I love you too. Ooh! Susie's here!" Jane waved as Susie pushed her way through the door before gesturing emphatically towards the bar.

"Why are you excited because Susie's here?"

"Just because," Jane answered evasively, still gesturing as she looked at the bewildered Susie. Maura stood up slightly to look in the direction Jane was pointing in.

"You stole one of Susie's dioramas!"

"I didn't _steal_ it," Jane replied defensively, finally lowering her arms with a satisfied smile as Susie headed towards the diorama, "I _borrowed_ it. And you know what, one of the figurines is of me, so I kind of own, like... a third of it."

"Uh huh," Maura replied, unconvinced and she watched Susie bend over to look into the mini morgue. Susie straightened suddenly, looking very excitedly towards the two of them. "Uh, what did you do to it?"

"Nothing. Just... put the two figures together in a way that let Susie know we are together now."

Maura raised an eyebrow but was unable to say anything more as Susie had just arrived at their table. "I just... I just wanted to say how happy I am for you two. You're my hero Doctor Isles, and... oh, you are too, Detective," she added, making Jane smile in amusement, "I'm just so happy that you're happy."

"Thanks Susie," Maura smiled, and watched as she walked away. Then, with a glance at Jane, Maura darted out of the booth.

"Hey!" Jane yelled, chasing her through the crowds, finally stopping when she saw what Maura was looking at.

"Really? You have us kissing. On the _morgue table._ Really, Jane? And... the cadaver is on the floor."

"What? We needed the space. He didn't mind." Jane leaned forward too, looking into the mini room.

"There is another table!"

"Oh." Jane blinked. "Didn't notice that at the time."

Maura shook her head. "Well, at least I'm to scale."

Jane snorted. "You are _so_ not to scale. Look at those things on your chest! Mini Jane is quite the lucky one..."

"Those 'things' are perfect in form and balance. And what do you mean, mini Jane is lucky? Is full size Jane not lucky?"

Jane stood up straight and grinned. It was really too easy sometimes to get a rise out of Maura. "Hmm, maybe."

"Maybe." Maura straightened up too and approached Jane slowly.

"Okay, fine. A little bit."

Maura poked her in the side.

"Ow! Fine, you nasty individual. I'm _very_ lucky. Happy now?"

Maura grinned. "I'm always happy with you, Jane." She stepped closer and Jane willingly spread her legs, drawing Maura in close. "You're my best friend."

"Uh-uh. L-Biff, remember?"

"L-Biff. For life."

Jane smiled.

END.

_Again, thank you so much for the support and the love. This will be the end of this story, but keep an eye out for more stories from yours truly! Though I am going to try writing some originals to get published in fiction magazines sometime soon... wish me luck!_

_Love to all xo_


End file.
